Gas Chambers and Crematoria

The Nazi murder machine operated at peak efficiency.

Rudolf Hoess, the barbaric Commandant of Auschwitz, was a model of efficiency.

Those who were selected for "death" went to a barracks, ostensibly for "de-lousing." They were rushed naked – whatever the season of the year or weather conditions – amidst shouting and beatings to the nearby bathhouse.

There their heads were shaved and all body hair removed, most frequently with dull razors, which caused acute pain.

They then entered large shower-like chambers, some which could "process" 2,000 people at once.

The doors were locked tight and Zyklon-B gas was pumped through the “shower-heads.” The gas would usually kill everyone within five minutes.

Afterwards, Jewish slaves (called Sonderkommando) would take out the bodies, check for gold, and then put the corpses into the crematoria.

They worked to burn the corpses, stoke the fires, drain body fat, and turn over the "mountain of burning corpses" for even combustion and a peak fire-temperature. These prisoners were well aware that they, too, would meet exactly the same fate.

Those ovens worked day and night. The doors literally melted off the hinges.

At one point, 20,000 people a day were being murdered at Auschwitz.

With perfect German efficiency, everything was utilized: Human hair for stuffing coats and mattresses, and human ash for fertilizer.

During the war, the Nazis made the surviving Jews pay for everything. If someone’s relative was carted away to the camps, he would get a postcard informing him that he died of a heart attack, and if he would kindly send 3-1/2 Marks, they would send his ashes.

Sadistic “Hospitals”

Nazi "doctors" conducted horrible experiments on the Jews in their power.

God forbid, if someone ever became sick, he would end up in a concentration camp "hospital," where those same medical monsters who supervised the selection on the platforms, who had sworn to "help humanity," conducted "medical research."

They would do sadistic acts such as placing Jews in ice baths, then monitoring them until they died. Why? Since some German pilots might end up in the water when fighting the Allies, these German “doctors” wanted to help the war effort by understanding how to prevent hypothermia.

Sometimes the "research" had no relevance to the war. Mengele, the infamous Angel of Death, "specialized" in bizarre experimentation on twins and dwarfs, ostensibly to better direct Aryan genetics. Victims were injected with diseases, then killed with a chloroform injection to the heart, dissected and compared.

The Nazi bestiality knew no limits. Some had chemicals dripped into their eyes to change eye color. Children were surgically sewn together to create Siamese twins.

About the Author

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Visitor Comments: 19

(19)
Anonymous,
April 10, 2017 12:00 AM

I think it's true

I'm reading mans search for happiness it's about a guy that survived a concentration camp and this article sounds just like my book does so I agree with it. Why don't you?

(18)
Anonymous,
March 8, 2014 10:29 AM

Shower heads

Story above states that Zyklon-B gas was pumped through the “shower-heads.” In the many records I have read all accounts mention the Zyklon-B was introduced in to the chamber through holes in the form of pellets. The pellets falling through the victims below. - "The poison that was dropped in crystal form, through a small hole in the ceiling, into the gas chambers. The pellets turned into a lethal gas once in air."The chambers were heated to allow quicker evaporation of the gas.

(17)
thomas,
May 20, 2013 2:15 PM

this is horrable

im sitting here doing my reseach project over a mobile killing unit and see this page. i had no idea, ill never take a day of my life lightly r.i.p to all those of those who were affected. god be with you

(16)
R M Marcus,
August 14, 2011 7:41 PM

we will nevef forget

Many would only wish to put behind them what has happened throughout history to the Jews, and move on. A noble thought?? Not at all. That would be the least courageous of acts. No, we shall remember...and live - IN YOUR FACES, with our loves, our lives, our work, our accomplishments, our honour, and all the rest.
The very fact that this continually needs to be discussed and put into the faces who hagte Jews - including their own Jesus -is just one good reason why it needs to be said and said and re-said, until our last breath.
Better get used to us Jews being around. We've been here for 5000 years; most civilizations in the world have, at one time or others, done their level best to eradicate us from "their" worl The most recent attempt was Germany's popular Nazi party. Where are they today? Gone. What remains? The State of Israel! So much for THAT attempt to eradicate us. What's next in line? Probably another fool and his legions of hate, in yet another attempt to "rid the world" of Jews. Eventual ourcome? Who knows? Perhaps we'll idiscover that both the head of the Church of England and the Pope himslelf, G-d bless him, are covert Jews. Weirder things have happened.,

(15)
R M Marcus,
August 14, 2011 7:29 PM

Tell - and retell

Let us NEVER forget what happened to us because we were Jews. Not 1000 years ago, but within living memory. We have no "chip on our shoulder".. They killed Jesus for the same reason and wound up worshiping him afterward. We Jews who live today want no such worship. Just leave to us to live in peace and quiet, even if we ARE Jews.
Do ya think you c'n do just THAT much???

(14)
Jonathan,
March 9, 2008 1:58 PM

I still can't beleive it

Brachot to all Jewish Persons. My Father Jumped into Normandy at the age of 18 to stop this 'madness', he died three weeks ago. We now have something similar taking place in this year 2002/5763...and the same political games and treaties and resolutions stifle those whom can really see the true and real evil brewing on the horizon...NEVER AGAIN...NEVER AGAIN. The World must unite against Terrorism lest we see these horrors again. My heart cries out in agony when I think of these things. B"H

(13)
Jenni,
February 2, 2008 11:08 AM

amazing

i loved the way that the article was so easy to read and follow along with. right now my english class is reading the play of the diary of anne frank and all of this is really touching and sad.

(12)
Matt Tarazwell,
January 11, 2006 12:00 AM

Good

Very easy to read and follow excellent account of the event

(11)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2004 12:00 AM

Don't judge

I am only in 6th grade. i have read the book ann frank and it was the saddest thing i ever read. Why do people have to judge others by the religion. My best friend was talking and she was saying how Jewish people burn in heck.I am not sure if i want to be freinds with someone who thinks I will go to heck. see even as young people you are set to belive in a certain thing and I dont think people should be like that.

(10)
penny,
May 15, 2004 12:00 AM

i love it

your article about the hate on the jews was very interesting. I am very interested in this area. I am still in shock about how one man can do all that to so many people. I wish that the jewish people could have lived to tell their stories. If that was me I would have given up, but I really do admire all their stories and their courage to stand up for their religion even though they knew thatthey might be executed. It maked you wonder what you would do if that was you? Would you live and betray your religion or would you show it and put all your faith in god like they did? They must have been going through some pretty horific things. I really admire them.

(9)
Rick Hunter,
April 20, 2004 12:00 AM

Shame of the 20th Century

It's hard to believe that such horror against humanity happened only 60 years ago. What's even more unbelieveable is that so few offered help to the Jews. I'm glad that's it's now the 21st century because I was ashamed to live in the century that something so horrific occured.

(8)
Brooke Lynn,
January 14, 2004 12:00 AM

BURN IN HELL HITLER

I am only in the 8th grade. I didn't really know anything about the WW II until this past year in our english class. I found this interesting and started to do some extra research. Now I really understand how bad it was and feel really bad because of what happend. I can't believe someone like Hilter, or any human could do that to another human being. Its disgusting and I HOPE HITLER IS BURNING IN HELL AS I WRITE THIS!!!

(7)
Jinalankara,
December 25, 2002 12:00 AM

May none face an evil like this!

It is amazing sometimes when I read this my eyes get filled with tears about what happened to a certain human race.

(6)
Jessika,
October 26, 2002 12:00 AM

Very EVIL!

Wow! This is a great site. It has helped me out with my Holocaust homework for my English and Social Studies classes.

(5)
George Miller,
October 9, 2002 12:00 AM

Am Yisrael Chai

Brachot to all Jewish Persons. My Father Jumped into Normandy at the age of 18 to stop this 'madness', he died three weeks ago. We now have something similar taking place in this year 2002/5763...and the same political games and treaties and resolutions stifle those whom can really see the true and real evil brewing on the horizon...NEVER AGAIN...NEVER AGAIN. The World must unite against Terrorism lest we see these horrors again. My heart cries out in agony when I think of these things. B"H

(4)
Anonymous,
May 22, 2002 12:00 AM

EVIL!!!!!!

that is just so incredibly cruel! Not even animals are that cruel. i never knew that the jews were treated so badly. my heart is with all of you. xoxo God bless!

(3)
Daniele W.,
May 17, 2002 12:00 AM

Wow.

This site is very detailed, and it allows younger people to reaize how fortunate their lives really are. I believe you have made kids want to learn about the Holocaust. Thank-you for letting me see what really happened in Europe in the 1940's.

(2)
Mike,
April 9, 2002 12:00 AM

You are doing good work

I am a non-academic student of the horrible Holocaust, have been to Yad Vashem on 3 occasions, and have been studying the Holocaust for over 20 years. Your site is doing a wonderful job of disseminating information that many people may not WANT to hear, but NEED to hear, lest we forget the many evil factors that led to the extermination of 6,000,000+ Jews, along with many other peoples of occupied Europe. Plus, the work that AISH does in making available such well-written and comprehensive info on the Holocaust also serves the purpose of assisting people like me in fighting the very venal & evil people who propagate their anti-semitic "historical revisionist" fantasies that downplay what happened. WE MUST NEVER FORGET! Shalom to you all.

(1)
Anonymous,
April 2, 2002 12:00 AM

Thanks

It's me again and I just wanted to say how much information i have gotten from this site. I am doing my senior paper on the Holocaust and this is definately one of the best sights that I have found.